(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording device such as a digital still camera and a video camera as well as to an image reproducing device for playing still images and moving images (to be referred to comprehensively as an “image” hereinafter) shot by such image recording device, and to a technique to facilitate a selection of an image when reproducing an image.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a notable diffusion of an image recording device such as a digital still camera and a digital video camera. With the spread of these image recording devices, various kinds of suggestions are presented for a usability-oriented method to manage image data using an image reproducing device for reproducing data of a shot image. For example, an image management system for displaying camera parameters which are set at the time of shooting, the date and time of shooting, weather information at the time of shooting and other information is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-10178.
Similarly for the image recording device, diverse suggestions are also made for a technique to facilitate the image data management after shooting. For example, a camera device to detect its own position (camera position) using a positioning unit, calculate an object position using a camera-object distance retention unit and a direction in which the object is shot and record the camera position, the object position and the image data by associating these positions with the image data is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Application No. 2001-169164.
However, the image management system mentioned above contains a problem that a user cannot search for a desired image visually and intuitively on the screen to select an image because labels indicate only time and place where an image is shot are attached on the screen to select an image. Another problem is that the user can neither search out quickly an image that is frequently shot or an image that is frequently reproduced nor find out easily an image that is rarely shot or an image that is rarely reproduced.
On the other hand, the camera device mentioned above contains a problem that the user cannot calculate a right position of the object which the user desires to shoot because of the errors made by the camera parameters. There is a risk that the user might shoot an object different from the one desired by the User.